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How to feel sexier inside and out

Don't let those scantily clad Sex and the City vixens fool you. They may be slim with clothes to die for, but true sensuality resides in a place within that no TV show or movie can compete with.

"Your sexiness is measured by how well you think of yourself - not by how skimpy your top is or how flat your stomach is," says Michele Weston, author of Learning Curves: Living Your Life in Full and With Style. "It's a mindset. And with that, you can create anything."

To get that sexy mind of yours in shape, consider these five tips from the experts:

Birds of a feather

Surround yourself with people who exude a positive, flourishing attitude, recommends Peter Lamas, beauty and image consultant (to stars such as Jackie O and Diana Ross) and founder of BeautyWalk.com. This way, you can bask in the glow of other people's positive light.

If all your girlfriends do is gripe about their flabby thighs, it's hard to find any sunshine. For celestial inspiration, pick a Hollywood role model: Elizabeth Taylor, Oprah Winfrey, Meg Ryan or someone you admire.

Put your body in motion

You know staying active helps keep unwanted kilos at bay. But did you also know that, according to the National Institutes of Health, physical activity helps you feel better about yourself and your body? Regular exercise can also help ignite your libido, according to Cindy Meston, assistant professor of clinical psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, whose research is currently promoted on the American Council on Exercise's Web site.

Turn down the volume

"A truly sensual person doesn't have to shout it from the rooftops," says Beverly Sassoon, who, with her ex-husband, the beauty guru Vidal, wrote A Year of Health and Beauty, "Sensuality doesn't come from physical perfection, low-cut tops or eye shadow. It comes from being interesting."

Find and cultivate your own style

"Give yourself the time to find and celebrate all that makes you attractive to yourself," says Weston, author of Learning Curves. "Think about the level of respect you have for taking care of you, what your flair is when you express your inner style on the outside, and even how you enter a room."

Beautiful benefits

We've all been told the brain is the most important sex organ. So, if your mental muscle genuinely believes you're the sexiest woman in the room, your brain can signal your body to express that winning attitude.

"Sensuality is reflected in the sparkle in the eyes, the energy with which we move, a smile, our scent, what we say and the voice we say it with," Sassoon writes. "When a woman feels elegant, graceful and sexy, she becomes elegant, graceful and sexy - even in joggers!"

Or, as educator Gilda Carle, author of Don't Bet on the Prince! How to Have the Man You Want by Betting On Yourself likes to put it: Sexiness is how you feel, not what you reveal.